If you have ever driven with me you probably know that I am not the best driver. I am the girl you see driving with her knee, on her cell, and doing her make-up! I have been pulled over several times and fortunately have been able to get out of 3 tickets (all in Utah). I was not so lucky this time.
I got a speeding ticket back in January~yes I was speeding, but I didn't think it
warranted me a ticket. Didn't he know I was in a hurry!?
I pulled over and waited for the
officer to approach my window.
He started with the infamous line "Do you know why you were pulled over?"
I said, "I was speeding?" (in question form as if I
didn't REALLY know why)
"Yes ma'am, can I have your drivers license?"
I began to plead my case. I didn't have anything substantial to justify why I was speeding, but I thought I would try anyway.
He listened and said," Ma'am, I would love to let you go today, but our deputy set up a sting on Good Hope Road today due to complaints of speeding and he knows every car that is supposed to receive a ticket."
He went back to the squad car to write my ticket.
When he came back he again
apologized for
issuing me the ticket, but suggested I go to the court date listed to lessen the points against my driving record. In all my tickets I have never gone to court. I simply paid the fine and took the points on my record. Joel thought I was rather irresponsible for not ever going to court, so I thought I would surprise him and go. I marked it on my calendar and planned to be there.
Three weeks pass and that brings me to yesterday. I arrived to court at 5pm like the ticket stated and the court room was already full. Immediately I got a pit in my stomach thinking of myself on the stand in front of a judge. I know people, it was only a speeding ticket but I was so nervous!! I found a seat and an officer came over and handed me a number and told me I would be number 50. That meant I had to sit through 49
proceedings before I had to plea "guilty", but, on the other hand it meant I had a lot of time to prepare what I was going to say to the judge. Two hours later I was called. The officer escorted me into another room- there was no stand, no judge, and no jury. I was so relieved!
This nice old man motioned me over to have a seat by him.
I sat down and he said, "So, you have a speeding ticket ma'am. Wow, your driving record is clean, no tickets or offenses before? Oh, I see one. You must be a good driver though."
I had him fooled!! All my tickets and accidents were in Utah, so he had no idea of my
'dark past' ! I explained the ticket I received in Wisconsin was from doing a U-turn in a controlled intersection, but I was from Utah and they are allowed there. He said they were allowed in several states, just not in Wisconsin. I didn't say anything else and he proceeded to lower my points from 4 to 0, but still had to pay the fine. He was the nicest City Attorney I have ever met(the only one too)! I left so elated that I
didn't have to go before the judge and plea "guilty, your honor".
